Nicor Gas enhances safety of its natural gas distribution system

Nicor Gas has received Illinois Commerce Commission approval on a tariff that will allow for the recovery of pipeline infrastructure investments across northern Illinois. This nine-year initiative, which begins in 2015, will accelerate natural gas infrastructure upgrades in the Nicor Gas service territory. The tariff will allow Nicor Gas to replace hundreds of miles of aging distribution pipe and thousands of natural gas services, upgrade transmission and natural gas storage systems and replace and refurbish natural gas regulating stations. Infrastructure investments for 2015 are expected to be US$ 171 million.

Approval of the Qualifying Infrastructure Plant tariff filing, which Nicor Gas is calling Investing in Illinois: A Nicor Gas System Improvement Initiative, is part of the Natural Gas Consumer, Safety & Reliability Act. This Act focuses on increasing public safety by accelerating the modernisation of the state's ageing natural gas infrastructure.

Under the tariff, Nicor Gas will recover costs through a cost-controlled adjustment on customer bills. The maximum increase to the average residential customer bill in 2015 as a result of these infrastructure investments will be approximately US$ 0.75 per month.

"Our first priority at Nicor Gas is safety - and we are pleased to have the opportunity to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation and replacement of Illinois' ageing natural gas infrastructure," said Beth Reese, President of Nicor Gas. "This investment in Illinois will allow us to continue to deliver natural gas safely and reliably to our customers while spurring the state's economic development activities - bringing jobs, business and investments to our region."

Enhancing and upgrading natural gas infrastructure in Illinois is essential to meeting the growing demand for this energy source as well as delivering it to Nicor Gas' 2.2 million customers in more than 650 communities.

Adapted rom press release by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/14082014/nicor-gas-enhances-safety-of-its-natural-gas-distribution-system/